Ease Symptoms of Aging

Learn how you can prevent weight gain, hot flashes and more

Get hot flashes the minute menopause hits?

At least 75% of women will experience these sudden is-it-hot-in-here flare-ups of sweating, which are the result of fluctuating hormone levels that lead up to menopause. You can also thank Mom: Research suggests that a woman is four times more likely to have hot flashes if her mother did, too.

PREVENT IT: Even so, "just because your mother had hot flashes doesn't mean you're destined to suffer," explains Jodi Flaws, PhD, a menopause researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Many lifestyle factors can affect whether or not you get them and how severe they are. "Emerging research, for instance, suggests that heavier women may get more frequent and intense hot flashes, so staying at a healthy weight can reduce your odds," says Dr. Flaws. Smokers are also more likely to experience them—the longer you've smoked, the greater your risk.

If you do get hot flashes, there are steps to take so that you're not always peeling off your clothes or waking up drenched. Dress in layers so you can cool down quickly; dial down the thermostat before you go to bed; and limit your intake of alcohol, hot drinks and spicy foods, as they're common hot-flash culprits, says Emily Szmuilowicz, MD, assistant professor of endocrinology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "Stress can also be a hot-flash trigger," she adds. So find the time for a little relaxation in your daily life. Ten minutes of deep breathing, yoga or meditation can all help decrease how often hot flashes happen and how bad they are.

And before you start cursing yourself for being such a hot mess, consider this: Women who have hot flashes toward the beginning of menopause have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than women who never have them.

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